A Huge Collective Home And Lifestyle Haul And A Giveaway

As much as I love buying clothes and beauty products at the moment I'm really enjoying buying and choosing things for the home and more specifically things for my bedroom. Because of my ME and Fibromyalgia even the simplest task like reorganising and tidying my room seems to take a lifetime, At last though I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and although I still have a few things to do before I move onto my craft room / office, it's time to start buying pretties.

My bedroom really is my sanctuary - I want it to be cosy, and comfortable and I want it to smell nice, hence my obsession with candles, and room fragrance.

I love Yankee Candles but in my room I want quick, and easy fragrance and whilst I still burn candles, I really love wax melts for speed and for intensity. The last time I was in the Metro Centres I went to one of my favourite Yankee retailers Collectables and bought a few melts / tarts. I got one of my all time favourite Lemon Lavender, and a few more seasonal fragrances, Christmas Memories and my current my have fragrance Pain Au Raisin.

I'm a huge fan of Christmas fragrance and whilst Yankee always do some amazing spicy and foodie fragrances, my favourite Christmas fragrance is actually Next's Festive Spice. It's the perfect mix of spices, orange and red fruits, and I always stock up while I can.

This time round I got one of the Festive Spice Fragranced Candle Jars which £6 and one of the Next 70ml Festive Spice Fragranced Diffusers which was £6.50.

As much as I love proper candles, you can't leave lit candles unattended, and sometimes with pets they just aren't suitable. Although I haven't really started on my office / craft room yet I though that this Set of 3 Festive Spice Flameless Candles would be ideal for my festive windowsill.

For just £16 you get three substantial wax candles, which are fragranced with the Festive Spice scent. They are battery operated and they come with a remote control, with 2 different timer settings and you can also alter the appearance of the flame.  We have flameless candles all over the house and they're are safer, and cleaner way of enjoying candle light, but unlike the rest of them, these ones have a bit of fragrance.

I'm all about mood lighting at the moment, I love candles, tea lights and fairy lights and for a while now I've been trying to embrace the LED star light trend but I haven't had much look. I never managed to get my hands on the Primark one and the only other ones I could find with around £60. that was until I saw this one from Studio for just £14.99.

I wasn't expecting much for the price but this is actually really nice for the price. It's battery operated and made out of a sturdy cream, coated metal, and it features 10 warm LED lights. I was going to hang it on the wall but I've tried it in a few places and I like it best on top of my Muji make up storage.

As well as my star light, several strands of fairy lights, a lava lamp, and some lanterns I also have a set of twig lights, that I originally bought in Primark, which have been quite happily living in a tall lilac vase from Asda. Louise is a clumsy person though and a couple of months ago I broke this vase - sad times :( Since then though I've been looking for a replacement without much look - they were either too small or the necks weren't wide enough for the battery packs. Eventually though I found what I was looking for in this gorgeous silver, mercury glass vase that I got from B&M Bargains.

I'm not sure how much this was but I think it was around £6.99 - £7.99 which isn't the cheap for B&M, but it's definitely worth the money and it's something that you would probably pay way more for elsewhere. The picture below isn't the best but it looks so pretty with the lights reflecting through it.

I love my bargains and I got another lighting piece from another bargain tastic store, Home Bargains.

I'd wanted a one of these for the longest time, but when I first saw them they weren't that cheap. This one was only a couple of pounds and it came with batteries.

I only picked up another one of Mason Drinking Jars, which was on special at just £1. I already have a Kilner one but it didn't comes with a lid so I was happy to add this one to my collection :) I would really love the shot glass versions of these so if you know where I can get some please leave me a comment and let me know x

Ever since I was a tiny tot I've loved stationery and over the last month or so I've become obsessed with it all over again, and I can't seem to stop buying pretty notebooks and office bits. The first stationery item that I got was this notebook from Home Bargains.

I love the black and gold combination and what's not to love about polka dots. Again this one was just a few pounds and I believe they also sell one in a black and gold chevron design. I love my polka dots so I also got this pocket sized brown, craft style notebook, with tiny gold polka dots from BHS. This should have been £5 but I got 20% off.

In the picture you can also see a lovely Orla Kiely Stem Print notebook that I got from TK Maxx. It was £6.99 was is pretty pricey for a plain notebook, but it should about £14 so I still want bargain hunting credit ;)

One of the highlights of going back to school or university after the Christmas or summer holidays was getting a new pencil case, I must of owned dozens over the years, but although I don't have as much use for them as a once did I had to get this one from ASOS.

Eat Sleep Blog Repeat really needs to be my mantra but sometimes real life gets in the way ;) This comes from a brand called James & Friends which I'm lead to believe is Jim Chapman's range. I think I might use it in my newly sorted office but it is big enough to be used as a make up bag so we'll see.

Poundland is one of those shops where you go in for one thing and come out with about a dozen. If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably already seen this cute stationery set.

Yes I know I'm an adult but come on Hello Kitty as Elvis what is not to love. For just a pound you got 2 pens, 3 pencils, 3 erasers, a pencil sharpener, a ruler and a metal pencil tin :) You all seemed to love it on my Instagram and a few of you couldn't find it so I went back and bought another one to giveaway :) All you need to do is be a follow of my blog and fill in the Raflecopter form below before the 1st December 2015. This giveaway is open worldwide so if you're a Hello Kitty or an Elvis Presley fan get entering x

a Rafflecopter giveaway


As well as my Hello Kitty bargain, I also managed to pick up an adult colouring book. I love the idea of these to promote mindfulness and relaxation but I really can't justify some of the prices. This Natural Wonders Colour Art For Everyone book contains a variety of beautiful and intricate floral patterns and for just a £1 I'm looking forward to trying to giving it a go.

The minute that Halloween is over, out comes the Christmas things, and Poundland as per usual have a pretty substantial festive selection. This item though doesn't scream Christmas.

There seem to be a lot of these inspirational type signs mixed in with Poundland's Chritmas offerings this year, in both wood and ceramic. These three ceramic hearts come suspensed on a red ribbon, and feature the words " Live Laugh Love" in a red type. I don't think these have to be for Christmas so I'll be displaying them all year round.

Speaking of love, I am the typical crazy cat lady, I don't mind the stereotype at all and there is nothing in life that can't be improved by putting a picture of a cat on it.

This luck black cat from the H&M Divided line is in fact a sticky tape dispenser. Sticky tape annoys the hell out of my but dispensing if from this little guy will hopeful make my Christmas wrapping less of a chore.

Cats seem to a pretty popular motif at the moment and I also got this mug from H&M, which is covered in a montage of cat pictures and features the phrase "You've Cat To Be Kitten Me Right Meow". Slightly cheesy but the perfect pressie for a cat lover.

The final thing that I'm going to show you in this rather large haul, is another item that I was inspired to purchase after looking at instagram pictures, reading blogs. and reading tweets.

Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward is probably the perfect cookery book for me, it's full of healthy vegan, gluten and sugar free recipes, that sound and look amazing. I'm still trying to eat healthily at the moment but I'm taking a break from the diet thing for a little while x I'll explain why in a post on Monday but as soon as I can I'm going to be working my way through all the recipes in this book, and I already have the sequel on my Amazon wishlist x 

I know there was quite a few items in this haul for you to contemplate, so I've an accompanying You Tube video so you can have a better look at your leisure. You can find the video below or via my You Tube channel here x 

If you have any questions on anything that I've bought please leave me a comment and of course don't forget to enter my Hello Kitty giveaway x 

Trying The White Based Nail Trend With Essence*

Look in any magazine or at any catwalk show, and one nail trend has probably stood out more than any other in 2015. No I'm not talking about stiletto nails (yuck IMO) I'm talking about nail polishes with a white base. From white based pastels, to white tinged nudes and out and out tippex whites, pale polish has been one of the the nail trends of the year.

Despite it's popularity within the fashion and the beauty industry I think plain white nails are a hard look for most of us to carry off. Your nails need to be decent, in my opinion this look doesn't work on painfully short, ragged nails, and the application needs to be perfect. 

If you want that white based look though, the easiest thing to do it to go for a colour that has that white undertone. Not only will it be more flattering but it will probably be more forgiving. I've shown you a few white based pastels lately but this one is more of a perfect,winter nude shade.

Essence I ♥ Trends The Nudes in 05 Pure Soul is a shade that gives you that super pale white based look but without the harshness or starkness of a pure white.

It's a bit difficult to subscribe but Pure Soul is more of a pale Ivory or creamy tone, it definitely has a bit more warmth to it than a pure white and it's also shot through with a tiny touch of pink shimmer, The shimmer isn't that visible in most lights but it definitely adds a bit of depth and warmth to this shade.

Colours like this are notoriously difficult to apply, and on coat number one, this one was no exception. It streaked and it was really uneven, but when you left it to dry and applied a second coat, it seemed to even itself out and whilst it was still quite sheer you could potentially wear just the two coats, as you can can see below, as part of a cream toned French manicure base.

For me though this colour should really be worn as a full coverage pale, nude and whilst you can still slightly see my nails tips here, this is 3 coats.

I'm going to be honest wear time wasn't amazing including a base coat I had 4 layers on here which does mean you've got quite a lot of polish on your nails and the thicker the polish the less well it wears. Although it would mean adding another layer a good top coat would definitely improve the wear time as well as adding a little bit of extra gloss.

When I first saw this polish my hopes weren't high, my nails were quite short and it just looked a bit too pale for my skin tone. Fast forward a few months though, and my nails have grown a bit and I actually think that I can get away with this colour after all. This isn't a stark, harsh white, and whilst it's pale the cream shade, and the tiniest smattering of pink shimmer, gives this colour the warmth that it needs. It's also a lot more versatile then I originally thought, as well as using it as a plain, block colour, you could also use it as a nice base for nail art and of course by only applying a coat or two it makes a good French manicure shade. Essence I ♥ Trends The Nudes in 05 Pure Soul retails at just £1.80 for an 8ml bottle, from Essence stand alone stores, and from Wilko and Wilko online so most people can afford to experiment or try something new. Are you a fan of white based nail polish shades? Let me know x I love reading what you have to say x 

*Sample

A Little Primark Haul And A Video

Last week I braved the half term hoards and headed to the Metro Centre for a little shopping trip with Mummy Lou. Thankfully we went early enough to avoid the worst of the crowds but Primark predictably was crammed.

I didn't buy a lot in Primark and in fact I had one of those frustrating visits that you get every now and then. Lots of things caught my eye but the size selection was awful, pretty much everything I picked up was only available in size 8 or a size 12! It was so disheartening and it certainly does nothing for your self confidence :( It always seems to be the same when the schools or off so I'm planning to a return trip next week, when hopefully I'll have a bit more luck size wise

Enough of the whinging though I still managed to pick up a few things - I only got one real clothing item though which was this jumper

I love polo and roll necks at this time of year, and this burgundy, wine coloured number was only £6. It came in a few different colours, and the skinny rib knit is really stretchy. It's warm enough on it's own but it will also made a great layering piece under either a cardigan, a poncho or a cape.

Sticking with winter warmers I also picked up some tights. Black opaque tights are a real wardrobe staple for me, and I was stock up when I find some that I like. I normally a George at Asda devotee but I thought I'd give these ones a try. You get a 3 Pack of  80 Denier Black Opaques for just £3.90, they feel soft and quite thick so they were well worth trying.

I had a little look the hats and scarves and although I was pretty tempted by the new tartan scarves I managed to stay strong - Mummy Lou however did not and bought a lovely pale pink, cable knit bobble hat for just £2.50! I couldn't persuade her to model it for me so Jake kindly stepped in :)

How cute is he :) I love his markings and how it looks as though he's wearing a necklace :) Alas us humans don't have built in necklaces so we have to buy them and I couldn't resist this zodiac necklace duo.

I tend to take horoscopes with a pinch of salt, but characteristically I am a typical Taurus, I'm greedy, jealous and really stubborn, so this set of necklaces were a must have. One fine gold chains, one necklace comes with a gold tone disc with the Taurus zodiac symbol on it, and the other one contains a square, faux marble type pink stone. This necklace set comes in all the star signs and it's just £2, and they also sell the matching earrings.

From jewellery to home wear and as you know I'm a huge fan of Primarks home selection, and it just keeps getting better and better. The Metro Centre store doesn't have the biggest home selection but I usually manage to pick up a few bits and this visit was no exception.

Coat hangers - we all need coat hangers, but I hate the plastic hangers, that you normally get in shops, and as nice as they look padded and wooden hangers are just too bulky. Many moons ago I first discovered these velour covered, slim, non slip hangers on QVC (read my very, very, early post here) - I tried them and I loved them. The clothes stay put, and because of the slim width you can fit more of them in your wardrobe. The one drawback was the price but thankfully though this amazing idea is now available at a more budget friendly price.

You can normally pick up a pack of 3, black or grey ones in Poundland or Poundworld, but if you can get yourself to Primark. They do a wide variety of colours for around £3.80 for a set of 10, however if you have a look in the sale containers you can sometimes pick up a bargain and this set of Primark Home Hang In There 10 Non Slip Hangers was just £2. The pink shades seem to be the only ones that were reduced strangely enough but I was happy to pick up a bargain.

The next thing I got is technically a Christmas decoration but I think you could easily have this little guy out all year round.

This cute ceramic Christmas Reindeer Tea light Holder, was just £1.50 and it even comes with a white, wax tea light x I think he's adorable and he's going to be living in my bedroom. There was also a sweet little Santa option too.

The final two things that I got were both beauty related - I stocked up on my usual Oil Balancing Face wipes, and I picked up another one of these.

I have mixed feelings about these polish remover pots but this P.S. Love Your Nails Nail Polish Twist Pot is pretty good for the £1 price tag. It's quick, it doesn't smell too bad, it's non drying and it takes the polish off with ease. I think that these are a real time saver, and they're great if just mess up the one nail -  you can just remove it without taking off the rest of your polish. I still love my favourite Superdrug remover but this little pot has definitely made it's way into my regular manicure routine.

Not the biggest Primark haul I know but I've picked up a few essentials and a couple of things that I love, so it wasn't all bad. Another trip is definitely on the cards in the near future but in the meantime why not watch the accompanying You Tube video below or you can watch it here x



Have you been to Primark recently? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you got x

Getting Your Shimmer On With Madara Flower Dust Shimmer Moisturiser*

Although I'm most definitely not a party girl, when the festive season arrives I normally make an exception and I don't need any excuse to dress up to the nines, and sparkle the night away. In the summer it makes perfect sense to care for our skin because it's going to be on show but come winter time we often forget and it's a mad dash, to primp and preen ourselves in time for that New Years Eve party. Over the last month  or so though, I've been trying out a product from My Pure that promises to make your skin look amazing no matter what the season.

I've tried a few products from award winning, Latvian brand, Madara now and bar a couple of minor quirks I've been pretty impressed; Up until recently though I'd only tried  some of their skincare products, one of their new editions though give me the opportunity to branch out into their body care range

The Madara Flower Dust Lotion Shimmering Moisturiser like all of the products in the Madara range is certified organic, and 100 percent of the ingredients are natural in origin.Their products are also suitable for vegans and they aren't tested on animals. This body lotion contains a host of natural ingredients including sunflower seed oil, cocoa butter, rose hip and algae extracts, and something called titanium dioxide, but more on that later.

This lotion comes boxed and it comes in a pump action airtight bottle. It takes a couple of pumps to prime the bottle but after that the product comes out easily. I found the one pump was more than enough for both arms as a little goes a long way, making this product both hygienic and economical.

Although it's described as a lotion this actually has a lovely, rich and creamy texture, Just dispense a little bit of this lotion into your hand and you can see what makes it so special.

It's crammed full of titanium dioxide, and other natural minerals, this isn't just a normal body lotion, it is in fact a shimmering body lotion. It's not that easy to see in most of these pictures but this lotion leaves a beautiful golden, shimmery glow on the skin.

This isn't a chunky glitter by any means, it's a fine subtle shimmer that is perfect for when you want to show a bit of skin. Apply a little bit to your arms, legs and your collar bones and you're party ready in an instant. It goes without saying that this product would look beautiful on tanned and darker skin tones, but even if you're pale and pasty, this will definitely give your skin a bit of warmth and a healthier appearance.

The shimmery aspect is without a doubt this products biggest selling point, but this isn't just a cosmetic or make up product, this is a serious body lotion, with lots of natural oils and butters to smooth and care for the skin. It takes a little while to absorb but it leaves the skin feeling smooth, soothed, and looking fabulous.

I absolutely love this product and I think it's a real must have for the festive season, it adds a subtle sparkle to the skin, and it adds a good dose of moisture when the skin needs it most. The only tiny drawback could be the the scent ,it has the same distinctive very green fragrance that the Tinting Fluid has - I think that this is probably a love / hate scent, but if this doesn't sound very you, don't worry, in this case it doesn't linger and it definitely won't interfere with your perfume. If you have a party to go to this winter then you need this lotion in your life, even if you're not planning on flashing any flesh, I'm sure a tiny little bit applied to the cheek bones would give you that party feel even if you're just wearing your Christmas jumper. The Madara Flower Dust Lotion Shimmering Moisturiser retails at £19 for 150ml from My Pure. If you have any questions please let me know x  Thanks for reading x

*Sample

Trimming My Stash October 2015 Edition - Empties, Updates And Mini Reviews

A nip and a punch for the first of the month and welcome to November! It's quite a scary thought but there are only about 8 weeks left of 2015 - argh where has this year gone! My life is passing me by Never mind the start of November means that we're one step closer to my favourite holiday - Christmas! 

I'm trying not to get too excited just yet - there is a lot of water under the bridge between now and then, and I'm just trying to focus on the here and now with my imminent oral surgery (sobs) and a few home renovations. It seems as though we've been changing decor and furniture for nearly all of 2015 and it looks as though it's going to continue to the very last moment, so it's going to be a mad dash to get everything tidy and organised ahead of the big day.

I'm trying to focus on a couple of rooms, my bedroom and my office / craft room and just when I think I've made a dent in my beauty stash I find another box of goodies. I'm doing my best to use things up as quickly as possible but sometimes it seems like such a slow process.

Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette -30ml
Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 Green Apple
Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes
Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml
Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g
Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml
Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml
Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml
Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara -001 Black - 7ml
Total - 10 Items

That said in October I did manage to finish 10 beauty products, equalling my best monthly performance of the year. I still have a long way to go to get my stash at an even vaguely manageable level but every little helps, and over the last month I've managed to finish a good variety of products.

1. Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette - 30ml

When Prada first started making perfumes, I have to say I was disappointed. Fragrance is such a personal thing and up until this one, nothing appealed. Prada Candy Florale is the most recent additions to the popular Prada Candy line, and whilst it has some of the caramel, candy sweetness of the original, it has something else that made it more me -both fresh and floral notes. I'm useless at describing fragrance but I'm lead to believe that the notes that are appealing to me are peonies and limoncello :) My sense of smell is a little awry at the minute so this is smelling a little strange to me but this is easily in my top 3 fragrances now. I love it and since I have a 50ml bottle and a roller ball to use up, so happily this fragrance is going to remain in my collection for quite some time to come.

2. Collection Limited Edition Mardi Gras Lip Balm - 1 - Green Apple

This pocket money friendly lip balm was originally released as a Limited Edition but it's now being integrated into the permanent collection line, all be it though in different packaging. This is a traditional, twist up, stick style lip balm, with an apple, melon, like fruity taste. It's very moisturising, on the lips, and seems to absorb without being too sticky or tacky. This lip balm comes in a few different flavours and it retails at a very budget friendly £1.99.

3. Mal All In One Body Wash Cedarwood And Fig - 150ml

This was a product that I received in a goodie bag quite a while ago now, at the Newcastle Meet Up At The Mal event (read my post here). The body wash is one of the complimentary products that you will find in your bathroom if your lucky enough to stay in a Malmaison hotel. Sometimes the products that you find in hotel bathrooms aren't up to much but this was decent. A little went a long way and it had a pleasant warming woody, fruity aroma. If you stay in a Malmaison hotel make sure that you take this one home with you x

4. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipe For Combination Skin x 25 Wipes

You must be sick to death of seeing pictures of these on my blog but I really do buy them and use them up. As I've said about 100 times now I don't tend to use wipes on my face so these are really just for emergency or lazy person use but I do use them to freshen up my hands and for cleaning up swatches. They have a light tea tree aroma and of course they have the antibacterial properties that tea brings. I buy these pretty much every time I'm in Primark, and for the price, they are a really useful item to have have in your beauty stash. These wipes retail at just £1 for 2 packs so they are definitely worth a try.

5. Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash - Rebalancing Green Tea & Jasmine - 200ml

This was a produce that I was sent for review purposes and you can read my full review here x I really enjoyed using this, I'm a huge lover of shower foams, as they seem to add a bit of indulgence to the pretty basic showering experience. This one had a lovely fresh, slightly floral scent, and it lasted for ages. There are a few different fragrances to try, so your bound to find something that you like.

6. Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm - 30g

This is something that I'm planning to review in the future for you so I'll try and keep this one brief. This is a melting, balm cleanser, that's packed full of essential oils and good skincare ingredients, add a bit of water to it and it transforms to a creamy milk that dissolves the heaviest make up in an instant, leaving the skin soft and hydrated. I like this but I don't love it, but I have a super size which I'll happily use up, and if it came in a kit I would use it again, It's good but I personally prefer the Emma Hardie Moringa Balm.

7. Decleor Systeme Corps Moisturising Body Milk - 75ml

This wasn't the hugest bottle of body lotion but it was something that I found in one of my long forgotten and ignored beauty piles. From French brand Decelor this is described as a body milk but that makes me think of something runny and watering, this has more of a thick, lotion consistency. It has a nice gentle, neutral fragrance, and it leaves the skin, silky soft and hydrates. This isn't the cheapest of products but a little goes along way and I would definitely consider a repurchase, if I didn't already own the worlds body lotion mountain.

8. Madara Multi Action Micellar Water - 100ml

This product was one of my regular My Pure and it was something I only reviewed a couple of months ago (read my review here). After finishing the bottle the same thing still applies, I'm still not sure about the smell, but it does the job and removes make up, and even eye make up, without drying or stinging. My only issue is the size of the bottle and the price, and that's what puts me off making a repurchase.

9. Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - 150ml

Get the violins ready, the tissues and the sad music! It's not often that finishing a product makes me sad but this one has. The original Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover was my holy grail eye make up remover. I bought bottle after bottle of it, it removed my eye make up in a couple of swipes, and it didn't sting. The new reformulated version however did sting my eyes like crazy so I bought it once and never again. I've found a couple of replacements but this original product still holds a special place in this beauty lovers heart x  You can read a full review of this here x

10. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - 001 Black - 7ml

Yeah a make up item! I know mascaras are normally the quickest thing that we finish but I normally have about 3 on the go at once so it can take a while. This was a pretty decent, drugstore brand mascara, I personally found it a bit fluid, and it did have a tendency to gloop and to travel but it made the lashes look long and pretty decent. As well as being a lengthening mascara this one also contains lash conditioners, and claims to help the lashes to grow longer, unfortunately I didn't see any real difference in the length of my lashes in the the long term but this was still an okay mascara but I probably wouldn't repurchase.

I'm pretty pleased with this little last, I tried really hard and it definitely paid off. Another 10 items will be a hard target to reach in November but I'm going to do the best that I can to up my yearly total. I'm aiming for a few hair products, maybe a skincare item, some shower products, and maybe a make up product or two but who knows - Make sure your following my blog to see how I get on and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x